MechWarrior: Tactical Command Preview

The Battletech universe is coming to an iPad near you

Battletech is one of the most enduring RPG franchises of all time, because when you get right down to it, who doesn’t love giant fighting robots? There are tabletop RPGs, video games, books, cartoons and more, and soon there will be a new addition to the mix: Mechwarrior: Tactical Command, a real-time strategy game that promises to bring the best of the board game experience to the iPad.

Mechwarrior: Tactical Command boasts 30 “mechs” – the aforementioned giant fighting robots – taken from the franchise, each fully upgradeable and customizable with “C-bills” earned by completing missions. Players will deploy a squad of four mechs against an array of enemies including massive tanks, Elementals and of course enemy mechs as they battle through 21 levels set in three different worlds.

As in every good Mechwarrior game, heat will be a major factor in battles, and mech limbs can be damaged and destroyed individually, allowing players to surgically target and cripple their opponents. And to ensure that commanders can get the job done, a unique command interface designed specifically for the iPad will give them a tight rein on the battlefield without the frustration that can come from an overly-complex interface.

The pre-release wallpapers on display at the Mechwarrior: Tactical CommandFacebook page look good — although there aren’t many of the iconic designs that helped make the franchise famous — but there’s little else to see at this point. I’m a pretty big fan of the Mechwarrior franchise, but with things like visual scale, animations and even the layout of the interface still unrevealed, we can only hope this game lives up to the hype.